New Audi A6 is the Hardest Car to Steal

Achieving a score of 117 points out of a possible 120 points, the new Audi A6 4.2 quattro is now rated the most difficult vehicle to steal from around 200 new vehicles assessed in 2004 by IAG for this annual report.

IAG scores Australian vehicles based on their ability to be broken into, ease with which they can be stolen and their potential to be rebirthed.

The new A6 4.2 quattro features numerous vehicle safety and security features including DataDot microdot identification (including DataDots on the compliance plate), deadlocks on all doors, speed-activated central locking, safety central locking (two-stage unlocking), anti-theft alarm and engine immobiliser system. The combination of these features scored the A6 4.2 quattro 117 points from a possible total of 120, thanks to the IAG ‘theftability’ scoring system.

The remaining models in the Audi A6 range, from the 2.4 multitronic to the 3.0 TDI, each achieved a very commendable 107 points, making the entire new A6 range the best-performing luxury sedan in terms of vehicle security in 2004.

The report from IAG means that buyers of the new Audi A6 can be safe in the knowledge that they have chosen the most secure vehicle in the luxury sedan market.

Background – Insurance Australia Group vehicle theft scores

The vehicle theft scores by IAG and its companies, NRMA Insurance, SGIO and SGIC are released annually and are designed to help guide new car buyers, particularly those consumers who are conscious about vehicle security. The vehicle theft scores also provide manufacturers with feedback on the level of security provided in their cars.

A vehicle with a high score is less likely to be stolen and would resist theft longer than a vehicle with a low score.

IAG has used the internationally recognised testing criteria of the Research Council for Automobile Repairs (RCAR) evaluation system, which was actually originally developed by NRMA Insurance. These procedures are applied to new cars examined for vehicle security at IAG’s Technical Research Centre.

The assessment is divided into three categories:

Protection against entering the vehicle, looking at the ‘ease’ of entry

Vulnerability to theft, with consideration given to:

 Ignition lock/switch construction

 Original equipment (OE) engine immobiliser

 Original equipment (OE) car alarm

 Miscellaneous devices (such as locking wheelnuts etc)

 Stereo security

Vehicle identification, including:

 Installation of microdots

 Extra Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) stamping

 Tamper-proof, self-voiding compliance labels

This third category was introduced in 2003 to encourage car manufacturers to install more robust forms of vehicle identification as a means of preventing the incidence and high cost of car rebirthing.